1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to side view mirrors, and more specifically, to a side view mirror apparatus which is manually installable, removable, and adjustable.
2. Description of Related Art
Side view mirrors provide drivers of automobiles with an external rear side view of their vehicle, and thus are a necessity for safe driving. A disadvantage of conventional side view mirrors is their vulnerability to damage since they are permanently affixed to and protrude from the vehicle. Another disadvantage is the limited view which the mirrors provide to the driver.
As larger vehicles such as minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have boomed in popularity and sales in recent years, a safety concern arises for the driver who needs to be able to see as much as possible around these large vehicles while in the drived""s seat. Indeed, the more aware the driver is of what is going on around the vehicle, the safer it is to operate. In response to this need, manufacturers have developed extra-large side view mirrors to give the driver a larger view of the sides of these vehicles. However, these extra-large mirrors necessarily protrude from the vehicle a significantly greater amount than regular-sized mirrors, and thus are even more prone to damage. Once damaged, side-view mirrors can be very costly, inconvenient, and time consuming to replace. Mirrors having degrees of concavity have also been developed to provide a larger area of visibility to the driver. However, the concavity also distorts the reflected image seen by the driver.
In addition, traditional side view mirrors are permanently affixed close to the vehicle and can only be adjusted slightly by the driver. Thus, regardless of the size of the mirror, the driver is afforded only a very limited side view and cannot see a large area of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is carrying items on a roof rack, the driver has no way of observing them to make sure they are still secured without stopping and exiting the vehicle. Also, the driver cannot see a large portion of the lower side of the vehicle with traditional side view mirrors. Neither regular-sized side view mirrors nor the extra-large side view mirrors mentioned above afford the driver a view of the top or lower rear side portions of the vehicle, since the distance they would have to extend from the vehicle in order to do so would render them impractical and dangerous.
Accordingly, an easily installable and removable external side view mirror that can be adjusted to provide a wide range of viewing angles including views of the top and lower rear side of the vehicle, and which can be used as an auxiliary to a traditional side view mirror, is highly desirable.
The present invention seeks to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages and problems by providing an improved apparatus that is easily removable and installable by a vehicle driver and increases the driver""s field of vision around the vehicle with its adjustment capabilities.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an improved side view mirror apparatus is provided including a mirror housing having a mirror and a housing cavity, a rod having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion movably inserted into the housing cavity, and a clip attached to a proximal portion of the rod having elastomeric pads for frictionally securing the apparatus to an edge of a vehicle window.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a connector is provided for adjustably connecting the proximal portion of the rod to the distal portion of the rod. The connector is moveably inserted into the proximal portion of the rod. A connector screw is provided for fixing the mirror housing in a desired position and to prevent movement of the mirror.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a screw is provided for fixing the mirror housing to the rod to prevent movement of the mirror housing.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the mirror housing is extendable by sliding along the distal portion of the rod.
These, and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be described or become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.